Comparative analyses of the major royal jelly protein gene cluster in three Apis species with long amplicon sequencing
This article validates and reconstructs the genomic organisation of the major royal jelly protein region
Abstract
Even well studied genomes contain errors. Improved methods have substantially enhanced the Apis mellifera reference genome, but additional sequencing strategies have failed to fully resolve a complex region, known as the mrjp region.
This article validates and reconstructs the genomic organisation of the mrjp region by combining single-molecule nanopore-based sequencing with extensive read-lengths to reconstruct the organisation of the major royal jelly protein (mrjp) region in 3 species of the genus Apis: Apis mellifera, Apis florea and Apis dorsata. Findings show different patterns of gene loss and retention for Apis mellifera and A. dorsata. Findings further suggest that a previously reported mrjp2-like pseudogene in A. mellifera is a consequence of short read sequencing.
This is an output of the ‘African Reference Laboratory (with Satellite Stations) for the Management of Pollinator Bee Diseases and Pests for Food Security’ project. It is partly funded by the UK Department for International Development, a core donor of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology.
Citation
Helbing S., Lattorff H.M.G., Moritz R.F.A. and Buttstedt A. (2017) Comparative analyses of the major royal jelly protein gene cluster in three Apis species with long amplicon sequencing. DNA Research 24, 279–287. doi: 210.1093/dnares/dsw1064.